Tim Cook says big Apple AI announcement is coming later this year

Apple is almost ready to show us what it can do in the artificial intelligence space.

During Apple's earnings call on Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company will make an AI announcement sometime in 2024.

“As we look ahead, we will continue to invest in these and other technologies that shape our future. That includes AI, where we continue to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort and we’re excited to share details of our ongoing work in that space later this year," said Cook.

As is typical of Cook, who is always extremely careful not to unveil anything in advance, almost all details were absent. But he did confirm he's talking about generative AI, best known to most folks through OpenAI's super-smart assistant, ChatGPT.

“Let me just say that I think there’s a huge opportunity for Apple with generative AI and with AI, without getting into many more details or getting out ahead of myself," said Cook.

Cook's remarks seemingly confirm Bloomberg's recent report, which claimed that the company's upcoming iOS 18 will be one of the biggest iOS updates in the company's history. The update, which will likely be announced during Apple's WWDC conference in June, will reportedly include a smarter Siri, as well as more AI integration into basic iOS features including Messages and Apple Music.

Cook's announcement also comes on the eve of an incredibly important product launch for Apple. The company's first spatial computer, the $3,499 Vision Pro, launches on Friday. The VR/AR headset comes with some AI features; for example, Personas – the virtualized versions of headset's wearers – are created using AI models. But some analysts believe that the Vision Pro will mark Apple's biggest Apple push into AI yet, which will eventually include a separate AI App Store.